Finding Your Musical Voice

16th July 2025

Five Steps to Make Your Playing Truly Yours

In the world of instrumental playing, it’s easy to get caught up in perfecting the technical aspects – clean articulation, accurate intonation, and solid rhythm. But great players don’t just play the notes – they say something with them. Finding your musical voice is about making your playing unmistakably you. It’s a lifelong journey, but here are five steps to help you start carving out your unique sound, inspired by brass supremo Christopher Bill.

1. Listen With Intent

Your musical voice starts with your ears. The things that excite you – whether it’s a film score, a funky groove on the radio, or the sound of a busker on the street – try to recreate it on your instrument. Whether it’s a solo, a tone colour, or a phrase shape, emulate it. You won’t reproduce it exactly, and that’s the point: your interpretation will naturally start shaping your sound. The more you absorb, the more you start to internalise what kind of player you want to be.

2. Embrace Creative Restrictions

Sometimes limitations are the best launchpads for creativity. Give yourself a rule: play a solo using only three notes, or restrict your range to a single octave. Can you write a melody using only staccato articulation? By stripping away options, you’re forced to dig deeper into expression. You might discover fresh phrasing, new uses of silence, or quirky tricks that become part of your signature sound. As Bill says, the ideas that emerge from constraints are often the most original – because they’re yours. These constraints force you to think differently and often result in more interesting, personal ideas.

3. Make Musical Decisions – Bold Ones

Playing accurately is only part of the job. What brings music to life are the choices you make – tempo, articulation, dynamics, vibrato, phrasing. Ask yourself: what story am I trying to tell? Try exaggerating a musical idea just to see how it changes the feel of the piece. Push the tempo in a phrase, add an unexpected crescendo, or hold back just before a high note.

4. Know Your Story

Think about what draws you to the instrument. Are you in love with the heroic swell of a film score? Do you thrive on the groove of funk or tight big band playing? Your musical voice is a reflection of who you are. Think about the kind of music you’d want to be part of, or the kind of player you admire. Knowing what you gravitate towards gives you a clearer sense of direction, and can guide the way you shape your sound and approach.

5. Play Often, Play Freely

It’s important to step away from the routine. try improvising with no goal, or experiment with tone and texture. You don’t have to be composing a masterpiece – just explore. These moments of unstructured playing often reveal ideas and sounds that feel more authentic than anything written down. Over time, you’ll find that certain habits and preferences stick – and they often point directly to your musical voice.

Final Thoughts

Whether you’re just starting out or already deep in your playing journey, remember: your musical voice isn’t something you find all at once – it’s something you build, moment by moment, through listening, experimenting, and expressing who you are.